Bret Davis

Bret W. Davis is Professor and Higgins Chair in Philosophy at Loyola University Maryland, with a Senior Fellowship in the Freiburg Research Collaboration Programme (FRESCO) (2023–2025). He specializes in East Asian philosophy/religion (particularly Zen Buddhism), modern Japanese philosophy (Kyoto School), and Continental philosophy (Heidegger, phenomenology, hermeneutics).

• Education: BA (1989) in Philosophy from Trinity University; MA (1996) and PhD (2001) in Philosophy from Vanderbilt University
• International Experience: Studied/taught in Germany and Japan (1990–2004), including Buddhist studies at Otani University and Kyoto University
• Academic Leadership: Co-editor of World Philosophies and Transcontinental Philosophy book series; Subject Co-editor for Japanese Philosophy in Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy

His research explores cross-cultural philosophy, comparative philosophy of religion, and the intersection of Zen practice with academic inquiry. He received the Nachbahr Award (2015) and was named Distinguished Scholar of the Year (2021) at Loyola. Davis also serves as director of The Heart of Zen Meditation Group on campus, having received inka shōmei (Zen master verification) from Kobayashi Gentoku Rōshi in 2023 after 15 years of training.